The Terrorist and the Builder

How to feel good amidst catastrophe.

I approached Lior from the end of his hospital bed. The first thing I saw, protruding out from his blanket, was his grotesquely swollen foot. It looked like a four-year-old's drawing of a foot -- huge, boxlike toes, the skin stretched taut over the ballooned limb.

Not wanting to be caught staring, I looked up quickly to Lior's face at the other end of the bed. The 27-year-old was smiling broadly, glowing, radiant.

I looked back at his swollen foot, then again at his radiant face. How could they both belong to the same person?

Lior, who does building renovations, had been wounded in the terrorist attack in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Neve Yaacov two weeks before. He was in his apartment, and had been fasting all day for the Fast of Esther, on the eve of Purim. He was just breaking his fast with a glass of water when he heard the sound of machine gun fire. He called the police, but the line was busy.

Lior charged out of his door in the direction of the terrorist

More shots. Lior did not own a gun. Suffering from a slipped disc, he had never served in the Israeli army. Nevertheless, propelled by the thought, "Maybe I can help," Lior charged out of his door in the direction of the terrorist. He took cover behind bushes and cars as he made his way closer to the terrorist, who was spraying bullets on every Jew within sight.

Lior saw a police jeep with three blood-spattered policemen splayed on the floor of the jeep. Two of them were not moving, perhaps already dead. One policeman, injured, was trying to return fire.

Lior, approaching ever closer, saw the terrorist run up to the jeep and point the barrel of his gun directly at the head of one of the unconscious policemen. He pulled the trigger, but no bullet shot out. He must have run out of ammunition. The terrorist dropped his gun, and grabbed the gun of one of the fallen policemen. The injured officer tried unsuccessfully to stop him.

At that moment, Lior sprinted toward the terrorist, jumped on him, grabbed him in a stranglehold, and dragged him six or seven meters away from the stricken policemen. Lior and the terrorist wrestled on the ground. When police reinforcements arrived, someone tried to shoot the terrorist. Suddenly Lior felt a sharp pain. A bullet had hit him in the hip. The terrorist was subdued and captured, and Lior was rushed to Hadassah Hospital.

Now, two weeks and five operations later, Lior's leg is badly infected. "I don't care," says Lior. "I was privileged to be able to do something for the Jewish People. The Jewish People are holy. It is the greatest thing to be able to help the nation of Israel."

One of the police officers died, and several civilians were wounded in the attack. But the other two policemen survived. One is already out of the hospital. "You're a hero," I tell Lior.

"No, no, I'm an ordinary person," he protests, sincerely. Then he adds, ingenuously, "Anyone would have done what I did."

"To run out, unarmed, in the direction of a terrorist attack? No way," I argue. "Weren't you afraid?"

"Yes, I was afraid," Lior answers simply.

I look at this man lying in his hospital bed, with his infected leg and his bad back, who was afraid to fight a terrorist with his bare hands. And who did it anyway. Because his impulse to help overpowered his impulse to hide. And I understand why he is radiant and happy. Rebbetzin Tziporah Heller says: "If you want to feel good, do good."

"If you want to feel good, do good."

And I, who have come to the hospital to distribute snacks and bottles of spring water to those wounded in recent terror attacks and their anguished families -- because I couldn't stand sitting in my house and listening to the horrific news anymore -- I also feel better. And the three women who came with me, as they hand out their boxes with tissues to catch tears, and straws and cups for the spring water, and rugelach, because all Jews love rugelach, these women also find their mood lifting.

In front of one hospital room, where lies a 22-year-old girl injured in the Moment Cafe suicide bombing the night before, two tearful young women are eager to show us a photograph they are holding. "This is Sharona, who's in this room," they explain, pointing to one of the two smiling blondes kneeling on a grassy background, "and this is Ronit, five hours before she was killed."

We shake our heads, and embrace them, and hand them some rugelach. They are grateful we've come, and we are grateful we've come.

"If you want to feel good, do good."

Coming to Israel? The Riglers invite you to their home for "An Enchanted Evening in the Old City," with a Broadway-style musical show. For more information, click here.

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About the Author

Sara Yoheved Rigler is the author of Heavenprints, as well as the bestsellers: God Winked: Tales and Lessons from my Spiritual Adventures, Holy Woman, Lights from Jerusalem, and Battle Plans: How to Fight the Yetzer Hara (with Rebbetzin Tziporah Heller). She is a popular international lecturer on subjects of Jewish spirituality. She has given lectures and workshops in Israel, England, Switzerland, South Africa, Mexico, Chile, Canada, and over thirty American cities. A graduate of Brandeis University, after fifteen years of practicing and teaching meditation and Eastern philosophy, she discovered "the world's most hidden religion: Torah Judaism." Since 1985, she has been living as a Torah-observant Jew in the Old City of Jerusalem with her husband and two children. She presents a highly-acclaimed Marriage Workshop for women [seewww.kesherwife.com] as well as a Gratitude Workshop. To invite her to your community, please write to info@sararigler.com.

Visitor Comments: 1

(1)
Anonymous,
March 21, 2002 12:00 AM

Wrestling!

What an inspiring story this was. I especially enjoyed reading of Lior's courage. When he charged after the terrorist it reminded me of Jacob wrestling with the angel, and when Lior took a bullet to the hip, it also reminded me of Jacob's hip.
I thank HaShem for courageous warriors like Lior, people who have achieved a great deed but yet remain humble!
I am also proud of the women who used their initiative to offer assistance.
There is hope after all!

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I live in rural Montana where the Cholov Yisrael milk is difficult to obtain and very expensive. So I drink regular milk. What is your view on this?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

Jewish law requires that there be rabbinic supervision during the milking process to ensure that the milk comes from a kosher animal. In the United States, many people rely on the Department of Agriculture's regulations and controls as sufficiently stringent to fulfill the rabbinic requirement for supervision.

Most of the major Kashrut organizations in the United States rely on this as well. You will therefore find many kosher products in America certified with a 'D' next to the kosher symbol. Such products – unless otherwise specified on the label – are not Cholov Yisrael and are assumed kosher based on the DOA's guarantee.

There are many, however, do not rely on this, and will eat only dairy products that are designated as Cholov Yisrael (literally, "Jewish milk"). This is particularly true in large Jewish communities, where Cholov Yisrael is widely available.

Rabbi Moshe Feinstein wrote that under limited conditions, such as an institution which consumes a lot of milk and Cholov Yisrael is generally unavailable or especially expensive, American milk is acceptable, as the government supervision is adequate to prevent non-kosher ingredients from being added.

It should be added that the above only applies to milk itself, which is marketed as pure cow's milk. All other dairy products, such as cheeses and butter, may contain non-kosher ingredients and always require kosher certification. In addition, Rabbi Feinstein's ruling applies only in the United States, where government regulations are considered reliable. In other parts of the world, including Europe, Cholov Yisrael is a requirement.

There are additional esoteric reasons for being stringent regarding Cholov Yisrael, and because of this it is generally advisable to consume only Cholov Yisroel dairy foods.

In 1889, 800 Jews arrived in Buenos Aires, marking the birth of the modern Jewish community in Argentina. These immigrants were fleeing poverty and pogroms in Russia, and moved to Argentina because of its open door policy of immigration. By 1920, more than 150,000 Jews were living in Argentina. Juan Peron's rise to power in 1946 was an ominous sign, as he was a Nazi sympathizer with fascist leanings. Peron halted Jewish immigration to Argentina, introduced mandatory Catholic religious instruction in public schools, and allowed Argentina to become a haven for fleeing Nazis. (In 1960, Israeli agents abducted Adolf Eichmann from a Buenos Aires suburb.) Today, Argentina has the largest Jewish community in Latin America with 250,000, though terror attacks have prompted many young people to emigrate. In 1992, the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires was bombed, killing 32 people. In 1994, the Jewish community headquarters in Buenos Aires was bombed, killing 85 people. The perpetrators have never been apprehended.

Be aware of what situations and behaviors give you pleasure. When you feel excessively sad and cannot change your attitude, make a conscious effort to take some action that might alleviate your sadness.

If you anticipate feeling sad, prepare a list of things that might make you feel better. It could be talking to a specific enthusiastic individual, running, taking a walk in a quiet area, looking at pictures of family, listening to music, or reading inspiring words.

While our attitude is a major factor in sadness, lack of positive external situations and events play an important role in how we feel.

[If a criminal has been executed by hanging] his body may not remain suspended overnight ... because it is an insult to God (Deuteronomy 21:23).

Rashi explains that since man was created in the image of God, anything that disparages man is disparaging God as well.

Chilul Hashem, bringing disgrace to the Divine Name, is one of the greatest sins in the Torah. The opposite of chilul Hashem is kiddush Hashem, sanctifying the Divine Name. While this topic has several dimensions to it, there is a living kiddush Hashem which occurs when a Jew behaves in a manner that merits the respect and admiration of other people, who thereby respect the Torah of Israel.

What is chilul Hashem? One Talmudic author stated, "It is when I buy meat from the butcher and delay paying him" (Yoma 86a). To cause someone to say that a Torah scholar is anything less than scrupulous in meeting his obligations is to cause people to lose respect for the Torah.

Suppose someone offers us a business deal of questionable legality. Is the personal gain worth the possible dishonor that we bring not only upon ourselves, but on our nation? If our personal reputation is ours to handle in whatever way we please, shouldn't we handle the reputation of our nation and the God we represent with maximum care?

Jews have given so much, even their lives, for kiddush Hashem. Can we not forego a few dollars to avoid chilul Hashem?

Today I shall...

be scrupulous in all my transactions and relationships to avoid the possibility of bringing dishonor to my God and people.

With stories and insights,
Rabbi Twerski's new book Twerski on Machzor makes Rosh Hashanah prayers more meaningful. Click here to order...